Ashdown Peacemaker 60 212 Combo

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Still going strong, after being pushed hard at rehearsals and gigs.

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Me again. Just to say that this amp is still doing the business. I have just had a set of Bare Knuckle 'Crawler' humbuckers fitted to my old Aria - the Ashdown seems to love them; I can use the lead channel with much less gain, allowing the power of these (excellent) pickups to push the power amp harder, thereby delivering really wonderful tones, everything from shimmering cleans to brilliant rock overdrive. I simply don't understand the moans elsewhere about tone from the Peacemaker.

I have one of the early edition 60 watt combos, and thought I should chime in here since there are so many reports of problems.

The amp has 3 footswitchable channels, clean, OD1 and OD2. The clean is a typical British EL-34 Class A tone, like a vintage Marshall instead of Fender-type clean. But the overdrive channels are what it's all about on this amp for me.

One great feature is #1 and #2 Master Volume controls, which gives you 2 overall volume settings that are independent of the gain controls. Dial in your gain and tone, and you can keep the same settings for your solo. Great feature.

The amp has a very nice built-in reverb that sounds great and has a very useful control range. Not like a Fender where it sounds like you're in a cave at 3, with this amp you don't get to cave status until 10.

The EQ controls are very interactive, but it was my experience that if you start with all the EK knobs at 5, you can dial in great tone very easily.

My axes are the standards: Fender Strat and Gibson LP. I was able to quickly dial in great tones with both guitars for all styles of music, except metal. But for metal I've always found it's best to use the clean channel with disortion pedals anyway.

As I said above, the overdrive channels are what make this a great amp to own. The distortion on these Ashdown Class A amps is just incredible. Somehow they have voiced these amps so that they create the richest, creamiest distortion that I have ever heard.

Especially for leads, Ashdowns are an incredible sounding amp, they will give you that s--t eating grin when you play them. I like them so much that I own three! This one, a Peacemaker 40 combo, and a Peacemaker 60 watt head.

I could not get a bad tone out of this amp on the overdrive channels, and can't really understand the complaints of others about tone. Maybe they aren't used to dialing in a 3 channel EQ with EL-34's? Here's some great advice: Start with Everything at noon (mid scale), and tweak very slightly from there. Trust me, all amp designers voiced their amps to have their characteristic tone right there.

This is a LOUD amp! 60 watts into 2 each Vintage 30's makes mucho sound pressure levels, I've had no problem gigging with it. Just for fun I stacked it on a Marshall 4x12 cab, which of course was more volume than anyone really needs....

I have owned the amp for about 18 months now. I have gigged with it extensively, pretty much daily. It has hundreds of hours on it without so much as a hickup. I probably should change the output tubes soon, but it still sounds great so I will wait a while longer.

The VU meter got broken (a common complaint on these) while loading it into the trunk one night. But honestly, the meter is marketing hype anyway. A lighted VU meter, on a guitar amp? Come on...

As I said, I own 3 of the Ashdown amps from this series: this one (Peacemaker 60), a Peacemaker 40 watt combo (w/ single 12" vintage 30), and a Peacemaker 60 watt head. I've never had a bit of trouble with these amps, and they have all been used regularly, especially the combos.

I called the factory about getting a replacement VU meter, and they sent me a replacement from England for Free !!!

If this amp were stolen or lost I'd just use a 2x12 Vintage 30 cab with my Peacemaker 60 head, which is why I bought it. But after playing the Ashdowns, I simply can't go back to other amps for overdrive and lead, this is the stuff !

I think the one I initially bought saw a 2004 model. I like the features on this amp and it looks very retro and cool. Individual volume controls. Feature wise it's very good.

Now, this is where I couldn't even describe horrible this amp sounds. To be a bit fair, when I tested this amp in the music shop it sounded fantastic specially the clean channel. The music shop had a clearance and I got one. When I got home, to my dismay, the amp started with awesome clean, then to my dismay the sound started deteriorating. I mean, the sound just thinned out. It just sounded horrible and I couldn't stand it so I brought it back to the music shop to be fixed. When I got it back it had the same problem and told the music shop that I wanted it replaced with a new one. They told me they sent it back to the rep but when I went to the shop to pick up the suppose to be new amp, guess what? It's the same bloody amp. I was going to be generous and give this a rating of 4 or 5 but I just couldn't stand the bloody sound coming from this amp. To be fair, please bear in mind that I'm rating the amp the I initially bought, other Ashdown Peacemakers might sound better, but not this particular one.

I'm not sure because I don't know what the problem with the amp was when the sound is thinning out. So no real opinion here.

I don't really have an opinion here. I was going to blame the rep but I only dealt with the music shop's manager and salespeople. I don't really know whether they spoke to the rep for a new one or not so I have no idea.

Please bear in mind that this rating is for the amp that I received and sent back. Just to be fair with other Ashdown Peacemakers out there. But reading the other reviews, it seems like I'm not the only who had problems with this model amp.

When I sent the amp back the store gave me a credit because there's a no return policy, I could only exchange it. So I checked some other amps, tried some other valve amps like Traynor and Laney VC 30. I've decided to get the Laney and give it a try and boy I'm glad I made this decision. My friend told me that it sounds almost, if not exactly like a Vox AC30 (this is the Laney VC30 I'm talking about), which is more the twice as much. Even though I had this horrible experience with this amp, it worked out it the end and got the amp that I like and need.

I own a couple of Teles, a Washburn Idol, Ibanez RG 450, ESP LTD M-100FM, a semi-acoustic and acoustic guitar. Been playing on and off for around 19 years and owned Marshalls and other amps. I'm not saying that I'm an amp expert but at the end of the day, you have to trust your ears.

On a final note, a friend of mine bought an Ashdown Fallen Angel 60 and the power supply blew up. If not for the safety switch installed in his house, it might have electricuited him. We got these amps from the same music shop on the same day!!! Hmmm.......

Features well described in previous post.

Classic Rock, Blues etc...
Distortion is a bit buzzy for my taste.
Clean sound is fair, sterile at best.
Distortion reminds me of Peaveys old saturation feature.
Flextone I amps sound more like a tube amp than this,in side by side comparisons the Flextone kicks the Peacemakers Ass.

Broken down on two occasions within one year, took a couple of weeks each trip to have it fixed, I believe the power tubes were shorting out in both instances.

Repairs under warranty.
TOok weeks to recieve but fixed.

Wouldn't replace this one.
If you want a tube amp that sounds like a solid state amp then this is your amp.

Yet another update.
Probably says more about my incompetence than anything else, but I've only just come to the conclusion (at gig volume levels anyway)...to tame the 'toppiness' that so many others find disappointing, try knocking the Treble right down but pushing the Mid up (this is channel 2 we're talking about). I know some seem to swear by 'scooped' mids, but believe me with a good guitar the rock sounds you will get are fantastic - control them through the guitar.

I've already reviewed below. i had problems with this amp in the first 6 months of owning it that pissed me off with it. But slowly it is clawing it's way back into the good books. The last time it broke down was a year ago , and it's been getting fairly heavy use , so hopefully th problems have been sorted . Have always loved the tone , only the reliability let it down .

I think that these have been sufficiently documented already. I really did love the 2 volumes though...really helped for solos. I wish that there was an on/off switch for the fan too for recording. It's a bit loud.

You are going to think that I'm crazy for this next statement...I bought the Peacemaker 60 212 to replace my 5150 half stack. Yeah, I know it's a metal setup but I don't play metal (I only use the clean half of the 5150). That said, I loved the clean on the Ashdown. Both of the dirty channels seemed to be overly harsh while lacking in punch. So, I hooked-up the Ashdown to 1/2 of my 412 (while disconnecting the open back speakers) and hooked up my 5150 to A/B the two. For some of my songs, I liked the Ashdown. For others, the 5150 did the job. EVERYTHING that I liked the Ashdown for was only the clean channel. I never was able to get the tones that inspire me to create like I do with my 5150 (that's why I bought it...wrote a song in the guitar shop while demoing the 5150). But, all that said, I was able to get good bluesy tones and rootsy tones. Not what I wanted it for, though.

OK, here's where I REALLY knock it. I read other reviews on Harmony Central where people had blown-up power supplies and I was scared. So, I emailed Ashdown and they said that they knew of the problem and it was fixed. Yay! Got my amp in the mail. It had some shoddy packaging (shipped direct from factory). Got the thing out, and while constructed well, it seemed a bit frail for regular gigging purposes. Cheap plastic galore and thin cabinet. Now to see how it worked I played it, pushed it, and it blew-up within 10 minutes (after letting the new tubes warm up for 30 minutes). AAAARGH!!! So, I check the fuse and it's blown (luckily). BUT, the fuse installed was the fuse for 220V power (british) not 110V. Away to Radio Shack I went, installed the new fuze (nice little fuze holder, by the way) and it worked fine. However, I hate the fact that Ashdown's QC dept is so slack that they let a 5 cent part ruin my "new amp experience". Even with the new fuse, the thing runs HOT (thus, the cooling fan). I was never certain that I could trust it so I returned it.

Good customer support. Rapid emails received both from Ashdown UK's service dept and from the USA's sales dept.

Wish that I had tried a Fallen Angel for sound but, as it would be essentially the same circuitry, not sure that I could trust it for gigging. If you've read this far, go visit my band's website at: www.brotherlush.com Email me for any questions!

This is just an update, so N/A

See my review of 6/6/04.
Just by way of additional comment really.....
I acknowledge the points made elsewhere about the o/d channels being too trebly - this is the inherent character of the Peacemaker 60 obviously. However, with some judicious twiddling, I have found some great tones available, though always with an 'edge' I suppose. Certainly, I wouldn't recognise toppiness as being an unsurmountable problem.
On the overdrive/distortion front, I've giiged the amp a few times now and at such volumes (and woth the gain set high anyway) I consider the amp to belt out some very good o/d rock sounds, and this is borne out by others with perhaps more experience than me.
But - and here's an admission - I have just found that the addition of a good o'drive pedal (I use a Boss Super Overdrive), allows a rock solo sound to die for.
Overall then, don't be too hard on this amp. It does have versatility and is good quality. Instant gratification is sometimes shallow - persevere with the Peacemaker and it will deliver the goods for most types of rock music.

A couple of E-mails asking for advice have been quickly and helofullt responded to - so well done, Ashdown.

I only use the clean channel on this amp. 60 watts of vale power is more than ample for my needs. I have tried connecting the amp to a Peavey Classic 1x15 16ohm extention cabinet through the dedicated output jack, reducing the combo down to 4 ohms, the sound is slightly more rounder, but the volume to me hardly, if at all, increases.
It's a three channel amp, the third channel is accessable using a second footswith {not supplied by Ashdown}, 'NAUGHTY ASHDOWN', seems like spoiling the ship for a ha'peth of tar.

I normally use this amp with a 1980 Ibanez AS200 a magnificent guitar in my opinion, plays and sounds better than any 335 I've ever owned or played. I've also put Strats and Teles through the clean channel they all work well. The amp is not too noisey, perfectly acceptable in gig situations.
Channels 2&3 however are sadly very disappointing. The channel seems to be preset with an extrodinary amount of treble. This kills any chance of finding any smooth, brown tone type of distortion at all.
It begs the question if Ashdown can get channel 1 so right, how can they possiblly get channels 2&3 so desperately wrong!.
They should have marketed the amp as a single channel 60 watt amp with boost. The buyer could have saved something on the purchase cost
and all effects could be put through the front end. Another thought maybe would be to forget channels 2&3 and provide a decent digital reverb in the amp, and disregard the exsisting one thats completely non effective. They could then keep the purchase price up.... People will pay for quality.
In conclusion if your going to buy one of these amps buy it for channel 1 only it really is a great sounding channel. If you want an amp with quality sounding overdrive and distortion.....Forget it!.

I've used it a few times on gigs....seems okay...I'd take the chance
on not taking a back up amp, because I'm at that age where the money's not too important....only the amount of steps that you have to climb to carry your gear in!.....Sad isn't it.

Telephoned Ashdowns once to try and buy an amp cover. Got that 'neither for or against apathy' response....I haven't contacted them since. .... Still don't have a cover!. If anyone has one spare please contact me.
!.

I've been playing over forty years. Ampwise I own an old Vox AC15, Trace Elliot TA100R....Guitar wise an Ibanez AS200,couple of customed Strats and Teles, Godin multac duet nylon, Martin J40, a heavily customised Joe Pass Emperor which is now unique and I must say amazing, an old Hofner country flat top dating from the mid sixties, also a few other bits and pieces.
If it were lost or stolen to be perfectly honest I wouldn't buy another one, only because I hate things that don't live up to manufactures specifications.

The features are all below

I use it with Les Paul style ( humbuckers) . I can get a good range of sounds, from a good thick jazz sound to a good rock sound. The dirty channel is good with a fair amount of gain , But I tend to keep it half for general use and use a pedal to push it over the top , if I need it. Good sound. I'm very pleased with it's tone .

I've had it about a year and I've had problems . First it just stopped making noise. It had full power , and the tubes were working but no sound . At first they didnt know what was wrong ( so they say) but I got it back 3 weeks later. Then 3 weeks later smoke starts pouring out of it. At the time I was Pissed and hated the amp and Ashdown and the shop I bought it from . But I've had it back a while now with no problems . So if I have no more problems I'll be willing to say I was unlucky. But one more major problem I'll send it back to ashdown packed full of dynomite .

During my second ordeal I sent emails to Ashdown and they contacted me quickly and they were keen to help me and I respected that . I hear the dealer here in Australia is a bit of a joke though among the shops . I emailed him twice. He got back to me the first time when I said I needed help, Then after my second email explaining my situation I never heard from him again .
So I'll give ashdown an 8
And the distriubtor a 2

I like the amp . When I was looking , I liked it as much or more than amps I was playing that cost almost twice as much . I've had problems and hopefully there all behind me for a long while . I know shit happens and tube amps can be a pain , so no more problems and I'm a happy camper.